The present invention relates to mixing consoles having a talkback function.
Heretofore, mixing consoles for use in concert halls etc. have been known, which mix audio signals, output from a multiplicity of microphones, electric and electronic musical instruments, etc. disposed on a stage etc., after adjusting levels and frequency characteristics of the audio signals and then output the mixed audio signals to a power amplifier. A human operator, operating such a mixing console, operates various panel controls of a digital mixer to adjust volumes and colors of audio signals of musical instrument tones and singing voices into states that appear to most suitably express a performance. The mixing console includes mixing buses for mixing sound signals (audio signals) supplied from input channels, and output channels for outputting mixed sound signals. Each of the input channels controls frequency characteristics, mixing level, etc. of a sound signal input thereto and then outputs the thus-controlled sound signal to the individual mixing buses, and each of the mixing buses mixes the sound signals input from the input channels and outputs the mixed sound signal to a corresponding one of the output channels. Output signals from the output channels are amplified and audibly output through speakers etc.
When the conventionally-known mixing console is to be adjusted, a human operator may adjust the mixing console by communicating with musicians, staff, etc. on a stage. For the purpose of such communication between the human operator and the musicians etc., the mixing console is equipped with a talkback function. Namely, a voice of the human operator is supplied to mixing buses as a talkback signal, and the talkback signal output from the mixing buses to output channels is audibly output through a stage monitor speaker disposed on the stage. In this way, communication can be made between the human operator and the musicians, staff, etc. on the stage. One example of the mixing consoles is known, for example, from Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2002-325300.
In the conventionally-known mixing console, mixing processing is performed by a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). FIG. 6 is a block diagram explanatory of a mixing processing algorithm executed in a conventionally-known mixing console equipped with a talkback function.
In the mixing console 100 shown in FIG. 6, digital signals are input to an input patch section 130 from a plurality of input ports. In the input patch section 130, the input ports are selectively patched (coupled) N (N is an integral number) input channels 131-1, 131-2, 131-3, . . . , 131-N of an input channel section 131. To each of the input channels 131-1 to 131-N is supplied an audio signal 1n.1, 1n.2, 1n.3, . . . , 1n.N from the input port patched thereto by the input patch section 130. In each of the input channels 131-1 to 131-N of the input channel section 131, the audio signal supplied thereto (i.e., input channel signal) is adjusted in acoustic characteristics and controlled in send level, so that the thus-adjusted and controlled audio signal is sent to M (M is an integral number) mixing buses 136 and left (L) and right (R) stereo cue buses 137. In this case, each of the signals of the N input channels (N input channel signals) output from the input channel section 131 is selectively output to one or more of the M mixing buses 136. In each of the M mixing buses 136, the signals of the one or more input channels (i.e., one or more input channel signals) selectively input thereto are mixed together. Thus, a total of M different mixed signals are output to M output channels 133-1, 133-2, 133-3, . . . , 133-M of an output channel section 133.
In each of the output channels 133-1-133-M, characteristics of the audio signal mixed in the corresponding mixing bus 136 are adjusted and then output to an output patch section 135 as an output channel signal Mix1, Mix2, Mix3, . . . , Mix.M. In the output patch section 135, any one of the M output channel signals Mix.1, Mix.2, Mix.3, . . . , Mix.M can be selectively patched (coupled) to any one of a plurality of output ports, so that the signal patched by the output patch section 135 can be supplied to the one output port. In the output ports, the signals of the output channels are converted into analog output signals, amplified by an amplifier, and then audibly reproduced or sounded through a plurality of speakers disposed on a stage or installed in a venue. Further, in each of L and R cue buses, signals selectively input from any one or more of the N input channels are mixed into a cuing/monitoring signal, so that the cuing/monitoring signal is output to a cue/monitor section 134. A talkback signal is also input to the cue/monitor section 134 directly from a talkback section 132, and either the signals from the cue buses 137 or the talkback signal is selected in the cue/monitor section 134 and output as a cue/monitor signal. The cue/monitor signal is then output as an audible sound from a monitoring speaker, headphones attached to the human operator so that the human operator can listen to the sound for checking purposes. Further, the talkback signal from the talkback section 132 is also supplied to the M mixing buses 136 and L and R cue buses 137 so that the talkback signal is mixed to the output channel signals Mix.1-Mix.M and cue/monitor signal.
FIG. 7 is a circuit block diagram showing a detailed construction of the cue/monitor section 134. In the cue/monitor section 134, a signal from the cue bus 137 is input to a fixed contact a10 of a first switch SW11, a signal from another source is input to a fixed contact b10, and any one of the signals selected by a first switch SW1 is output as a cue output from a movable contact c10 and supplied to a second switch SW111. The signal selected by the first switch SW111 is input to a fixed contact a11 of the second switch SW111, and the talkback signal from the talkback section 132 is input to another fixed contact b11 of the second switch SW111. Any one of the signals selected by the second switch SW111 is output from a variable contact c11. The signal output from the second switch SW111 is output as a monitor output via a dimmer 112 that temporarily attenuates the level of the signal. Once the talkback function is turned on, the second switch SW111 is switched to the fixed switch b11 (i.e., talkback side), but also the dimmer 112 comes to be capable of temporarily attenuating the level of the talkback signal output from the second switch SW111. In this manner, a voice uttered by the human operator is attenuated and thus can be prevented from being fed back through the monitoring speaker etc. When the talkback function is OFF, in the other hand, the dimmer 112 outputs the signal from the second switch SW111 as a monitor output without attenuating the level of the signal,
When the talkback function is ON in the conventionally-known mixing console 100 shown in FIG. 6, a voice uttered by the human operator toward a talkback microphone is supplied from the talkback section 132 to the mixing buses 136 and cue buses 137, where it is mixed with a plurality of audio signals. Thus, the human operator's voice mixed with the plurality of audio signals can be heard by musicians etc. on the stage through the stage monitor speaker via the output channel section 133 and output patch section 135. Further, a voice uttered by a musician toward a microphone on the stage is supplied to the mixing buses 136 and cue buses 137 via the input patch section 130 and input channel section 131. Thus, the human operator can hear the musician's voice by listening to a cue output from the cue/monitor section 134. However, it tends to be difficult for the musician on the stage, who is talking with a human operator, to hear the human operator's voice because the human operator's voice is mixed with the plurality of audio signals.
Namely, the conventionally-known mixing console presents the problem that it cannot satisfy a desire for mainly hearing a talkback signal alone during talkback conversation. If send levels of a plurality of audio signals to be supplied to the mixing buses 136 are lowered when a talkback signal is sent to the mixing buses 136, a musician conversing with a human operator through talkback can mainly hear a voice of the human operator. However, there is a need to set send levels of the N input channels 131-1-131-N separately for each of the M mixing buses 136, which would require setting operation comprising an enormous number of setting steps and also require extremely cumbersome setting operation for returning the console to a normal-use state.